The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth an unprecedented change to every facet of our lives as college students. While many higher education institutions have chosen to close their campuses forcing students to learn remotely, Bucknell has successfully been able to maintain an active campus while containing COVID-19. 

One of the steps the Bucknell administration has taken to inhibit the spread COVID-19 was to eliminate fraternity meal plans for chapter houses not owned by their respective fraternities. In a usual semester the SigEp chapter meal plan costs $1,600 which gives each brother access to three cooked meals a day and a seemingly endless amount of snacks and leftovers. The current equivalent to the normal fraternity meal plan is the $1,400 meal plan that offers one meal swipe a day. The quality and quantity of food our usual meal plan offers is far superior to that of our current option. 

Understandably, the decision to eliminate the fraternity meal plan was out of concern for the potential spread of COVID-19. However, the SigEp fraternity chef, Beth, has offered a detailed outline of her plan to serve food to fraternity members while maintaining a safe environment. This plan would include serving prepackaged meals, using single use utensils and plates, restricting access to kitchen appliances among other steps. Preparing food in fraternity houses safely has already been accomplished by other fraternities on campus like Phi Gamma Delta and Chi Phi. Throughout the semester these fraternities have been able to serve food within their chapter because their respective houses are not owned by Bucknell. 

As the end of the semester approaches we still have the opportunity to offer fraternity members a better meal plan and re employ those that lost their jobs. On top of providing three daily meals for over 80 people, Beth is a mentor and motherly-figure to many of us. She has been tirelessly working for various Bucknell fraternities for over 20 years, and she has touched the lives of hundreds of young men that have attended Bucknell. Aside from the strain that not having a meal plan in the spring will have on our brotherhood, we are deeply concerned about the impact it will have on Beth without the employment she had reasonably expected next semester.

Please consider supporting our efforts to not only offer a safe, affordable and cost effective meal plan but reemploy the chefs that lost their jobs as a result of the change in meal plan options.